It is known that individual nuclear particles are so constituted as to permit fusing of the lighter nuclei. Fusion of lighter nuclei is accompanied by release of energy. Of particular interest is any fusion reaction in which power can be produced in quantities greater than the power consumed in establishing and maintaining the reaction. There are over 30 reactions now known to be possible. The most appealing reactions are those which involve the heavy hydrogen isotopes, deuterium and tritium, because they tend to have the largest fusion reaction cross section at the lowest energies. Many possible reactions are well known. For example, Van Norstrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, Reinhold Company, New York, N.Y., 1976, at page 1656, et seq., discusses various aspects of the possibilities for producing a net gain in power from fusion reactions and briefly describes some of the attempts to perform such reactions with a net power gain.
Plasma research has received concentrated attention in many quarters, but the formidible task of plasma containment has yet to be solved. In avoidance of the problems of containment, a more recent approach involves laser-induced fusion. In its simplest form a focused energetic laser beam is brought to bear on a small deuterium-tritium pellet for heating to fusion temperatures. Efforts on this and on other fronts such as those involving containment has been steady in response to high incentives.
Thus, while many of the possibilities have long been known and have been widely attacked through various approaches towards achieving net power gain from fusion, the challenge remains unsatisfied.
The obvious advantage of fusion power is that it offers the promise of being able to utilize an essentially inexhaustible low cost fuel supply. This prospect is a growing challenge as world demands for energy continue to increase. A further significant advantage is that optimum fuels may be chosen to produce reaction products which are completely non-toxic and thus permit energy producing operations compatible with the most demanding environmental requirements.
The most desirable reactions, the ones free of neutron generation, produce energy in the way that is shieldable for personnel protection simply by the presence of structures necessary for carrying out the fusion reaction.
In application of this invention, the individual reactants are combined in such a way that they are not individually self-reactant. This permits definitive choice and execution of neutronless fusion.